Traditionally, hard surfaces such as porcelain-finish sinks or bathtubs, counter tops, and tile walls, have been cleaned by various compositions such as a particulate detergent, from which the user prepares an aqueous solution or suspension, or a liquid composition which contains a suitable solvent such as water, an organic solvent, or mixture thereof and one or more surfactants. These compositions can provide satisfactory soil removal from hard surfaces, but they often leave behind residues once the solvent medium has been permitted to evaporate or has been wiped off. In particular, if the surface is left to dry naturally, there often result residues in the form of dull streaks, rather than the desired bright and shiny surfaces. Such residues have to be removed by polishing with a dry cloth.
Where one is seeking to do heavy duty cleaning, the requirement of a two-step process for restoration of bright shiny surfaces is not unacceptable. However, when only a light-duty cleaning is necessary--such as, for example, removal of minor bathroom soils--a two-step process is not desirable. Where the surface to be cleaned is only lightly soiled, it would be most advantageous to be able to clean the surface with a single application and to have it dry naturally to a streak-free bright and shiny condition. The principal object of this invention is to develop a product of this type.
There are numerous products on the market comprising absorbent substrates impregnated with liquid compositions. Some of these are designed for personal use and these include articles such as pre-moistened towelettes individually wrapped in moisture impervious sealed envelopes. Similarly designed products, which generally require pre-wetting prior to use, are sold as hard surface cleaners for household and industrial use. The principal utility for such products is in areas such as floors or non-shiny surfaces where a certain amount streaking is acceptable. However, where such products are used on shiny surfaces, such as those made of porcelain or having a porcelain-like finish, an additional polishing step is often required in order to prevent streaking or to remove streaks. This streaking or filming problem has heretofore prevented the commercial development of a one-step disposable wipe for household use on shiny surfaces.
In liquid-containing wiping article of this type, the substrate must function as reservoir which first distributes the liquid on the surface to be cleaned and then collects the dirt and oils from the surface. Because of this dual function, it is obviously not possible to have a substrate which is fully or nearly fully loaded to its absorbence capacity with liquid because, if this were the case, the substrate could not function as a collector of dirt and oils, particularly if the surface to be wiped has some standing liquid. In designing a product which will satisfactorily work as a one-step disposable wipe and not leave behind film or streaks, there are number of variables to manage. These include the composition of the substrate itself, the absorbent characteristics of the substrate, the loading level of liquid onto the substrate, the components of the liquid composition, the pH of the liquid, etc. All of these factors are interrelated and it has been found that close control is necessary in order to obtain a satisfactory product.